Ben DeWitt is what I would consider to be a true introvert. He lives on his own, in the house who used to belong to his grandfather - Benjamin Franklin (yeah, THAT Benjamin). His life is quiet, he doesn't go out much, and his most prominent relationship is with his agent who is the pushiest person I've EVER read or heard of. She wants Ben to start working on a new book (his 2nd) and though he had a few ideas in mind she dislikes ALL of them and prompts him to make a better effort in finding the next best seller.
His mind isn't into it for some reason and when he receives a post card with the most horrible news he leaves everything behind and catches a plane to say a last farewell to his best friend. A friend he has never actually met though he knew most of his life. Brody Kuzniar.
Brody and Ben have been best friends ever since they were 8 years old when they became pen-pals. They live quite far away but as they never considered meeting it never mattered to them. Ben was always good with the written word (must be a family thing..) and though Brody was less of that, they still communicated through the years, sending letters through the mail and later on moving to e-mail and texts. Since then Brody got married, had 2 kids, served in the army left the army to join the police and through it all they have kept their special connection.
Ben didn't know who actually sent him the postcard to come to the funeral and he promised himself he would figure it out, say his goodbyes and leave. That he did. It was Brody's younger brother Ryan. Yet after spending a few hours with Ryan he realizes they share more than he thought or even knew and now it seems impossible to leave Ryan behind. Ryan might not live at home anymore but he also doesn't live close to Ben, yet it won't prevent them from keeping in touch.
While Ben is the guy who keeps to himself, Ryan couldn't be more different. Bubbly and friendly. Like Ben he has also published work - as a comics book writer and illustrator - and he is well known for it. But unlike Ben's work which mostly consists of bringing the past back to life for his readers, Ryan' is more personal. With their differences they still find a common ground, a language of their own and a mutual attraction. They have both been mostly single - each for his own reasons - and finding each other was something they couldn't even guess they might find let alone have. Yet with how much THEY personally work together the road was still bumpy. First because they don't live in the same city but also because life, family and obligations placed them in very complicated situations. Being together and mostly staying together means dealing with much more than just the two of them.
There is MUCH more I can say more about this book. About Brody's gift to Ryan, about Ryan's work and the connection it all has to his past and mostly his present. Ben's two good friends Michael and Heather and his estranged father. The complicated relationships in the Kuzniar family and the secrets they keep. The special connection between Ryan and his publisher, confidant, best friend and roommate Jasmine. That's without mentioning Ben FINALLY figuring out what he wants to write about next.. Yep, there is A LOT to this story and every piece of it makes this book beautiful and heartfelt.
I can't recommend this book enough! I feel like everything I've written here doesn't give this book the justice it deserves. I've been a fan of Cari's work for a long while and now that I've finished all of her published work I'm going through her blog and finding MORE books, full length ones and all of them are absolutely free! I actually wish for Cari they would be published - so more people would know about these wonderful stories but also because she SO deserves to be paid for her amazing work.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
 |
Rating:
★★★★★
|
Free
Read
|
309
pages
|
Read on:
25-27 August 2019
|  |  |
No comments:
Post a Comment